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The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie


Back blurb of The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie: At her Victorian mansion in St. Mary Mead, Marina Gregg received her visitors like a queen holding court. Moments later, one of her guests was dead - poisoned. Was it murder by mistake? The fading film star's tumultuous past featured an abundant cast of suspects and Scotland Yard was stymied.

Miss Jane Marple, the elderly spinster with an unerrring eye for evil, begins to see the shocking truth ... as a daring killer strikes again.

My take

Whodunit? A major clue was a "look" on Marina Gregg's face as she met with the murdered woman. A look that evoked Alfred Tennyson's Lady Shalott:
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott
You can easily finish this book at a leisurely rate in a half day. The story is fast-paced, has twists-and-turns, relationships (husbands, lovers, children), revelations and red herrings to keep you riveted and reading. As this is a mystery, it would be totally crazy for me to go into the details of the story!

For those who have yet to read Agatha Christie, this mystery features Miss Jane Marple. I've always loved the character of the "harmless" old (and unaging) lady, Miss Marple, who has such a wonderful grasp of human psychology that she solves murders and crimes by remembering things from her endless store of people she's known in her life.

Here Miss Marple does it again, and the tragic ending bespeaks of many a star's search for elusive happiness.

P.S. This is among my older books and it's been years since I've read it. So a re-read was in order! Agatha Christie was my first major obsession (ok, after Nancy Drew) and I made my acquaintance with Hercule Poirot through one of my grandmother's books. Then on, I was hooked on all things Agatha Christie. I started collecting them, scouring used bookstores, and borrowing from friends.

And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians) by Agatha Christie



Serious summary of And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians) by Agatha Christie: First, there were ten – a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal – and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

My two cents

I decided to read this because: I’ve been a Christie fan since high school and this has been sitting on my shelf for ages and I’ve never read it! I did join the Agatha Challenge too, so I could catch up on my Christie reading!

I liked: The plot itself: put 10 strangers on an island with no means of escaping and they all start dying off. The common denominator for them all is that they have been accused of murder. Now, obviously the murderer (of these alleged murderers) is among the 10. But why? And who? I kept wavering back and forth throughout the book speculating on who it could possibly be, and was of course totally proven wrong each time the character was killed off.

As always, insight into human nature is part and parcel of this piece. Motivations for murder (and other things) are key to solving any mystery!

I didn’t like: I'm a nitpicker when I say this. Death after death can get a little boring. After all from the onset you know that everyone is going to die. I kept going back to the nursery rhyme which was established early on as how each person would die. Ok, 5 dead, 5 more to go … Ho-hum.

I also felt that the letter at the end which reveals whodunit would of course have to get to the police (typical of Christie to wrap things up nicely, but hey she has a very strong sense of justice). After all the murderer was among those dead too! For once it would be nice to have a totally unsolved mystery!

Verdict: One of the better(er) Christies. And no Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot in sight!

Factoids: Having sold 115 million copies to date, making it the world’s best-selling mystery! The original title was Ten Little Niggers in the 1930s (can you imagine if it were still named this?). This has been on stage, film, radio, TV, a PC game, and soon, a graphic novel [Via].

***
First line: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

The book in one sentence: A wonderful whodunit of 10 people being killed off one by one on a remote island with no means of escape.

Who would you recommend it to: If you are an Agatha Christie fan, don’t DON’T miss this one! Anyone who likes a good mystery.

Random quote:
Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; One choked his little self, and then there were nine.
Nine Little Indian boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon; One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves then there were six.
Six Indian boys playing with a hive; A bumble-bee stung one then there were five.
Five Indian boys going in for law; One got in Chancery then there were four.
Four Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one then there were three.
Three Indian boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one then there were two.
Two Indian boys sitting in the sun; One got all frizzled up then there was one.
One Indian boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

#SockSunday & #BooksandSocks (1): Gagamba, Agatha Christie and Gabo


I noticed that books and socks seem to be thing over on Instagram and Tumblr and I couldn't resist its appeal. Ever since I (re)started on Instagram (@guiltlessreader), I've photographed some of my more interesting socks and paired it with some great books.

Since I don't think I will ever amass enough socks to do this every Sunday and knowing that I'll likely have the urge to post when I actually am wearing the socks, I'll be compiling a few of these photos at a time. Wanna join in? Leave me a comment and I'll go visit your socks and books.

Gagamba by F. Sionil Jose + Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist 

I read Gagamba in 2014 in an attempt to read more books by Filipino authors. Gagamba, which translates to "spider" in Tagalog (or Filipino) is a bundle of vignettes of ordinary people who come to a restaurant in Manila, tied together by an earthquake. It's an interesting way to tell a story! The author, F. Sionil Jose is a Philippine National Artist for Literature and is the most widely translated Filipino author. Read my review or check out snippets to get a feel for his writing.

Now on to the socks: Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist. I'm over the moon I was able to get a pair of these because I think Picasso's Blue Period produced some interesting pieces.


Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie + Library card socks

I bought both this vintage Agatha Christie book and this brand new pair of "Due Date" socks by Out of Print in the very same thrift store! Agatha Christie is one of my favourite authors; I was introduced to her by my grandmother and I haven't stopped reading her ever since that first acquaintance.

Get some snippets of Poirot Investigates over on Instagram, including how precariously dainty this book is - only I would buy a book that is starting to fall apart. Or are you one those types of people too?


Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez + purple socks

I read Love in the Cholera for my perpetual Travel the World in Books + Read the Nobels challenges. I am so in love with the Vintage editions of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books that I've made it my personal mission to collect them all. I love that little hint of purple in the parrot, which I matched with my lavender socks!


So that's it for this round! Do you like books and socks? Share them with me - I'd love to see your pairings!

Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie


About Three Blind Mice And Other Stories by Agatha Christie: A blinding snowstorm--and a homicidal maniac--traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple set-up, Agatha Christie fashioned one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which, in turn, would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. From this classic title novella to the deliciously clever gems on its tail (solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple), this rare collection of murder most foul showcases the inimitable Christie at her inventive best, proving her reputation as "the champion deceiver of our time."

My two cents

I didn't realize that this was a re-read (way way back in high school when I swiped one of my grandmother's Agatha Christies off her shelf). This is collection of short stories featuring Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and Harley Quinn (only one story though but I never much liked him). Again relived some of my favorites: The Third Floor Flat, The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly and Four and Twenty Blackbirds.

Must read!

Uh, what murder? {Third Girl by Agatha Christie}


About Third Girl by Agatha Christie:
Three young women share a London flat. The first is a coolly efficient secretary. The second is an artist. The third interrupts Hercule Poirot’s breakfast confessing that she is a murderer—and then promptly disappears. 

Slowly, Poirot learns of the rumors surrounding the mysterious third girl, her family, and her disappearance. Yet hard evidence is needed before the great detective can pronounce her guilty, innocent, or insane.…

My thoughts

Today was hard, hard day as far as reading my favourite mystery writer Agatha Christie. It hurts my heart to say I didn’t like this one. 

While I loved Hercule Poirot in this and his little grey cells are not at all waning, I was slightly miffed by Ariadne Oliver who did not seem to have her usual common sense. The book starts with a young lady enlisting Poirot’s help proclaiming that she MAY have committed a murder … then she runs off! Investigating a possible murder apparently is much much harder than investigating an actual murder. Oliver messes things up even more recalling only MID-BOOK (!!!!) of a mysterious death in the same building where the proclaimed murderer lived. 

Verdict: All this to say, this is not among my favourites. I say skip this, move to Christie’s better mysteries.

Book Reviews By Author (A-Z)

  • Sunday, November 01, 2009

~

Various, Uno Kudo Vol. 2 - Naked

A

Adams, Jennifer (illustrated by Alison Oliver): Baby Lit - Jane Eyre
Adams, Jennifer (illustrated by Alison Oliver): Baby Lit - Alice in Wonderland
Adiga, Aravind:The White Tiger
Ahern, Cecilia: A Place Called Here
Ahern, Cecilia: PS, I Love You
Ahktar, Ayad: American Dervish
Almond, David: Skellig
Alvarez, Julia: In the Time of the Butterflies
Anonymous: Go Ask Alice [Friday 56 quote
Arrington, Aminta: Home is a Roof Over a Pig
Atwood, Margaret: The Blind Assassin
Atwood, Margaret: Oryx and Crake
Avi: No More Magic

B

Baker Hyde, Phoebe: The Beauty Experiment: How I skipped lipstick, ditched fashion and faced the world without concealer and learned to love the read me
Bantock, Nick: The Venetian's Wife [Friday 56 quote]
Bantock, Nick: The Morning Star [video book tour]
Bantock, Nick: The Trickster's Hat: A Mischievous Apprenticeship in Creativity
Barnes, Darlene: Hungry
Bischke, Scott: Fish Tank: A Fable for Our Times
Black, Holly (with Tony di Terlizzi): The Spiderwick Chronicles
Boyne, John: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Bourdain, Anthony: A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
Bray, Libba: A Great and Terrible Beauty
Brackett, Marc: Keeping Score
Brown, Amanda: Family Trust
Brown, Liz Fletcher: Full Wattage!
Britt, Donna: Brothers (& Me): A Memoir of Loving and Giving
Burton, Gabrielle: Impatient with Desire
Burton, Tim: The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Byatt, A.S.: The Shadow of the Sun


C

Cabot, Meg: Queen of Babble (Book 1, Queen of Babble series)
Cabot, Meg: Queen of Babble in the Big City (Book 2, Queen of Babble series)
Cabot, Meg: Queen of Babble Gets Hitched (Book 3, Queen of Babble series)
Cabot, Meg: The Bride Wore Size 12
Calcaterra, Regina: Etched in Sand
Caldwell, Ian: The Rule of Four (with Dustin Thomason)
Carr, Josephine: The Dewey Decimal System of Love
Capote, Truman: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Chabon, Michael: Telegraph Avenue
Christie, Agatha: And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians)
Christie, Agatha: Curtain [Friday 56 quote]
Christie, Agatha: Hallowe'en Party
Christie, Agatha: A Holiday for Murder
Christie, Agatha: The Mirror Crack'd
Christie, Agatha: Three Blind Mice
Clarke, Susanna: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel
Clausen, Daniel: The Ghosts of Nagasaki
Cleave, Chris: Gold
Coetzee, J.M.: Disgrace
Collier, James Lincoln: My Brother Sam is Dead
Colgan, Jenny T.: Doctor Who: Dark Horizons
Conaway, James: Nose
Conklin, Tara: The House Girl
Cotton, Brad: A Work in Progress
Creech, Sharon: The Great Unexpected
Currie, Ron Jr: Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles

D

Dahl, Roald: Matilda
Dahl, Roald: Tales of the Unexpected
Davidson, Dianne Mott: Prime Cut
Dean, Debra: The Mirrored World
Dean, Louise: Becoming Strangers
DeBrincat, Tracy: Hollywood Buckaroo
De Robertis, Carolina: Perla
Desai, Kiran: The Inheritance of Loss
Dicks, Matthew: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
Dominge, Ronlyn: The Mapmaker's War 
Drake, Ernest: Dragonology - The Complete Book of Dragons (Ology World Series)
Drake, Ernest: Monsterology - The Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts (Ology World Series)
Du Bois, William Pene: The Twenty-One Balloons

E - F

Ellenton, Mary A. Flipping A Novel
Erdrich, Louise: The Round House
Fforde, Jasper: Thursday Next series (The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten) - quick thoughts
Fielding, Hannah: Burning Embers 
Fielding, Helen: Bridget Jones's Diary 
Fitzgerald, F. Scott: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Flanigan, Marie: One Big Beautiful Thing
Forsythe, Sadie: The Weeping Empress 
Friedman, Andrew: Say Not What If  [Friday 56 quote
Freese, Mathias B.: This Mobius Strip of Ifs
Frith, Sherry: Sticky, Icky Booger Bugs

G

Gaarder, Jostein: The Orange Girl 
Gaiman, Neil: Coraline 
Gaiman, Neil: The Dangerous Alphabet 
Gaiman, Neil: The Graveyard Book
Gaiman, Neil & Terry Pratchett: Good Omens 
Gaiman, Neil & Michael Reaves: Interworld 
Gaiman, Neil: Stardust
Galland, Nicole: Godiva 
Gibran, Khalil: Tears and Laughter [Friday 56 quote
Gilbert, Elizabeth: Eat Pray Love
Gilbert, Jennifer: I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag 
Gilbert, Steven Lee: A Lovely, Indecent Departure 
Gladwell, Malcolm: Outliers 
Goldberg, Myla: Bee Season 
Goldstein, Jonathan: I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow 
Gordimer, Nadine: The House Gun 
Gordimer, Nadine: My Son's Story 
Gregory, Philippa:  The Other Queen
Gorman, Sherry: It's Nothing Personal
Granas, Michelle: Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law
Grasso, Julie Anne: Return to Cardamom
Green, John: An Abundance of Katherines
Green, John: The Fault in Our Stars
Gregory, Philippa: The Boleyn Inheritance (quick thoughts) 
Guiliano, Mireille: French Women Don't Get Fat 
Guiliano Long, Terri: In Leah's Wake

H - I - J

Hoff, Benjmin: The Tao of Pooh 
Hornby, Nick: High Fidelity [Friday 56 quote
Ishiguro, Kazuo: A Pale View of Hills
Jackson, Joshilyn: Someone Else's Love Story
Jio, Sarah: The Last Camellia
Johnson, Diane: Le Divorce
Jose, F. Sionil: Gagamba: The Spider Man 

K

Kalotay, Daphne: Sight Reading
Kane, Holland: Morning Light
Kahakauwila, Kristiana: This is Paradise
Karalius, Kimberly: Pocket Forest
Kaufmann, Emma: Confessions of a Cake Addict
Keltner, Kim Wong: Tiger Babies Strike Back
Kingsolver, Barbara: Prodigal Summer 
Kinsella, Sophie: Remember Me? 
Kinsella, Sophie: Shopaholic and Sister
Klann-Moren, Nancy: The Clock of Life
Klaussman, Liza: Tigers in Red Weather
Kline, Victor: The House at Anzac Parade 
Knapp, Andrew: Find Momo: A Photography Book
Kraus, Nicola (with Emma McLaughlin): Dedication 
Krause, Bernie: The Great Animal Orchestra (Book Beginnings/Friday 56)

L

Laslocky, Meghan: The Little Book of Heartbreak 
Lawson, Nigella: How to Eat 
Le Carré, John: The Constant Gardener 
Levitt, Steven and Stephen Dubner: Freakonomics [Friday 56 quote
Lewis, Marlene: Ruth [Friday 56 quote
Lowry, Mary Pauline: The Earthquake Machine [Friday 56 quote
Lord, Christopher: The Christmas Carol Murders 
Lord, Christopher: The Edwin Drood Murders

M

Mack, Karen and Jennifer Kaufman: Freud's Mistress 
Mahurin, Paulette: The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap 
Majumdar, Anish: The Isolation Door
Margulies, Phillip: Belle Cora
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia: Leaf Storm 
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia: Memories of my Melancholy Whores 
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia: Strange Pilgrims 
Martin, Steve: Shopgirl: A Novella 
Martinez, Dan: Cross Country 101 
McClintock, Norah: Close to the Heel 
McFadden, Bernice: The Warmest December
Meyer, Marissa: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1)
Miller, Ashley Edward and Zack Stentz: Colin Fischer
Miller, Madeline: The Song of Achilles
Molloy, Aimee: However Long the Night
Morgenstern, Erin: The Night Circus 
Moriarty, Jaclyn: Feeling Sorry for Celia 
Morrissey, Donna: The Deception of Livvy Higgs
Mujica, Barbara: I Am Venus 
Munro, Alice: Too Much Happiness [Friday 56 quote]
Murakami, Haruki: After the Quake 
Murakami, Haruki: Kafka on the Shore
Mwangi, Robert: A Whisper in the Jungle

N - O

Neuwirth, Robert: Stealth of Nations [Friday 56 quote]
Noble, Elizabeth: The Tenko Club 
Norton, Mary: The Borrowers 
O'Connor, Jane: Almost True Confessions: Closet Sleuth Spills All
O'Donnell, Lisa: The Death of Bees
Olson, John B.: Powers 
O'Melveny, Regina: The Book of Madness and Cures 
Ondaatje, Michael: Anil's Ghost 
Otto, Whitney: Eight Girls Taking Pictures
Oyeyemi, Helen: Boy, Snow, Bird


P - Q

Piaget, Tallis: Black Boogiemen 
Picoult, Jodi: Keeping Faith  
Picoult, Jodi: Lone Wolf  [Friday 56 quote
Picoult, Jodi: My Sister's Keeper 
Poe, Edgar Allan: The Raven and Other Poems [Friday 56 quote]
Powell, Julie: Julie and Julia 
Probst, Jennifer: The Marriage Mistake

R

Rao, Simi K.: An Incurable Insanity
Redman, Jess: Softies Only a Mother Could Love (eds. Jess Redman and Meg Leder)
Robertson, Laurel: Laurel's Kitchen 
Rogan, Charlotte: The Lifeboat 
Rubin, Gretchen: The Happiness Project
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos: The Prisoner of Heaven 
Rushdie, Salman: Midnight's Children
Russell, Gary: Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos

S

Saramago, Jose: All The Names 
Saramago, Jose: Blindness (reviewed with Seeing)
Saramago, Jose: The Double 
Saramago, Jose: Seeing (reviewed with Blindness) 
Schlosser, Eric: Fast Food Nation 
Schlink, Bernhard: The Reader
Selznick, Brian: The Invention of Hugo Cabret 
Shapiro, Laura: Julia Child: A Life 
Shannon, Del: Captain Disaster formerly Kevin's Point of View
Sheth, Kashmira: Keeping Corner 
Sherman, Zander: The Curiosity of School 
Shreve, Anita: The Pilot's Wife 
Shreve, Anita: The Weight of Water
Sicha, Choire: Very Recent History
Simpson, Mona: Casebook: A Novel
Smith, Timothy Jay: A Vision of Angels
Steele, Danielle: Echoes 
Stemme, Fred: The Lieutenant's Whistle 
Steinbeck, John: The Pearl
Stockett, Kathryn: The Help 
Sullivan, Robert: Rats [Friday 56 quote]
Sydenham, Claire: Silk Armor
Syjuco, Miguel: Ilustrado 

T - U - V 

Tessaro, Kathleen: The Perfume Collector
Thisledore, Notti: The Halliday's Maladies (The Chatswood Spooks No. 3)
Thisledore, Notti: Sheets and Ladders (The Chatswood Spooks No. 2)
Thisledore, Notti: A Frightful Recipe (The Chatswood Spooks No. 1)
Thrope, Jan: Inner Visions: Grassroots Stories of Truth and Hope
Thúy, Kim: Ru
Trigiani, Adriana: Lucia, Lucia
Trollope, Joanna: Sense and Sensibility
Truss, Lynne: Eats, Shoots and Leaves
Tyler, Anne: Back When We were Grownups
Tyler, Anne: Breathing Lessons
Tyson, Wendy: Killer Image (An Allison Campbell Mystery)
Umenhofer, Lance: And the Soft Wind Blows
Upson, Nicola: Fear in the Sunlight
Van Why, Artie: That Day In September (A personal remembrance of 9/11)

W - X - Y  

Weesner, Theodore: The Car Thief 
Weiner, Jennifer: Goodnight Nobody 
Weisberger, Lauren: Chasing Harry Winston  
Wiesel, Elie: Night
Winspear, Jaqueline: Elegy For Eddie 
Winters, Ben H.: The Last Policeman
Winters, Ben H.: Countdown City (The Last Policeman II) 
Woodall, Trinny and Susannah Constantine: What Not to Wear [Friday 56 quote]
Yoshimoto, Banana: Asleep 
Yoshimoto, Banana: N.P.
Yu, Ovidia: Aunty Lee's Delights: A Singaporean Mystery  

Z


Zambrano, Mario Alberto: Loteria
Zarrin, Michelle: From My Heart to Yours
Zink, William: Pieta 
Zink, William: Sonnets from the Husband [Friday 56 quote]
Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief (quick thoughts)
Zusak, Markus: I am the Messenger (quick thoughts) 
Zygmont, Jeffrey: I Am Bill Gates's Dog 



#BookmarkMonday (256): Handmade #AgathaChristie


Agatha Christie's books ... as bookmarks! Dame Christie is of my faves. She's brilliant: murder, mystery, psychology (I've read more than a few). She hooked me as teenager and she still has me at her beck and call. I've never meet a Christie I didn't like!

These bookmarks by Sweet Sequels* are everything I'd want in a Christie bookmark ...or any bookmark for that matter! I've read all these except The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I must make amends!

Have you read any Agatha Christie? Do you have a recommendation for me?


*Affiliate link


Guiltless Reading

#BookmarkMonday is a weekly meme that started in 2009. Link up your bookmark below! Don't forget to share your love for bookmarks, whether yours or you dream of making them yours:
  • Post about it on your blog/Twitter/Pinterest and link up below. 
  • Or share your pic with the #BookmarkMonday hashtag on Twitter so I can go check it out! 
  • If you'd like to post on the #BookmarkMonday Pinterest Board, shoot me an email at readerrabbit22 at gmail.com and I'll add you as a contributor.

Link Up HERE!

#Friday56 & #BookBeginnings: Murder in Three Acts

Mr. Satterthwaite sat on the terrace of Crow's Nest and watched his host, Mr. Cartwright, climbing up from the path from the sea.
- p. 11

For Friday 56:
"Aha!" Poirot put immense meaning in the exclamation.
- p. 56


About Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie* (also entitled Three Act Tragedy):A cocktail party ends in murder, but who did it? Why? And for that matter, how? No real cause of death has been established. It's a real baffler and it's prompting Hercule Poirot to ask another question...who's next?

***
Did you join last Friday's giveaway of Michael Bernhart's How Existentialism Almost Killed Me? If you did, please make sure to check your email because Michael very generously decided to give all those who entered an ebook! So make sure to check your email.

I just love old books and have been coming across them in thrift stores quite a bit. In fact this Agatha Christie was found with these others. I couldn't resist snapping them up!


Do you like Agatha Christie? Which of her books is your fave?



*Affiliate link

#BookmarkMonday: Summer, Agatha Christie and watermelon!



Another of Frida Kahlo's artworks in a post-it makes it again this week as a bookmark. This week it's all about summer ... and I can't think of anything summery than watermelon! I'm in the backyard taking in some sun and some Agatha Christie.*

*Affiliate link

What are you up to today?


About The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie:* There's a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. And as a macabre calling card he leaves beside each victim's corpe the ABC Railway Guide open at the name of the town where the murder has taken place. Having begun with Andover, Bexhill and then Churston, there seems little chance of the murderer being caught - until he makes the crucial and vain mistake of challenging Hercule Poirot to frustrate his plans.


*Affiliate link
Guiltless Reading

Generate your button code

#BookmarkMonday is a weekly meme that started in 2009. Link up your bookmark below! Don't forget to share your love for bookmarks, whether yours or you dream of making them yours
  • Post about it on your blog / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram and link up below.
  • If you're on Instagram please look me up: @guiltlessreader) tag me so I can comment!
  • Share your pic with the #BookmarkMonday hashtag on Twitter so I can go check it out! 
  • If you'd like to post on the #BookmarkMonday Pinterest Board, shoot me an email at readerrabbit22 at gmail.com and I'll add you as a contributor.

Link Up HERE!

#Friday56 & #BookBeginnings: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd


Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th-17th September -- a Thursday. I was sent for at eight o'clock on the morning of the 17th. There was nothing to be done. She was dead for some hours. 
- p. 11

For Friday 56:
I did so to the best of my abiity.
- p. 56


About The Murder of Roger Ackroyed by Agatha Christie*: In the village of King's Abbot, a widow's sudden suicide sparks rumors that she murdered her first husband, was being blackmailed, and was carrying on a secret affair with the wealthy Roger Ackroyd. The following evening, Ackroyd is murdered in his locked study--but not before receiving a letter identifying the widow's blackmailer. King's Abbot is crawling with suspects, including a nervous butler, Ackroyd's wayward stepson, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, who has taken up residence in the victim's home. It's now up to the famous detective Hercule Poirot, who has retired to King's Abbot to garden, to solve the case of who killed Roger Ackroyd--a task in which he is aided by the village doctor and narrator, James Sheppard, and by Sheppard's ingenious sister, Caroline.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the book that made Agatha Christie a household name and launched her career as a perennial bestseller. Originally published in 1926, it is a landmark in the mystery genre. It was in the vanguard of a new class of popular detective fiction that ushered in the modern era of mystery novels.

***

(Oops, so I posted this last week on Instagram and obviously scheduled the post on the wrong date so I decided to just bump over to this week). 

This is another thrift store find! I'm going slightly nuts with the volume of new old books I am acquiring so I have to be extra careful. There is something extra special about finding an old favourite - I'm pretty sure I read this Agatha Christie (among many others), when I was in high school.


Have you found any great books in the thrift store lately? Do share!

*Affiliate link

A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie


About A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie: Motives for Murder: A fortune in uncut diamonds, hidden by an eccentric old man
A woman's love, too freely given
A business empire built on ruthlessness

Each of them may have been a motive for the brutal slaying of wealthy old Simeon Lee. Coupled with Lee's family, each member of which hated him and wished to see him dead, they presented Hercule Poirot with a baffling challenge--one which the astute detective solved only through his uncanny ability to see "the little things."

My two cents

A re-read of my uber-ratty copy! Love Agatha Christie!

The Christmas season is not the time for good cheer, in fact it is a murderous season. Simeon Lee's puzzling murder (a closed door, a wail from hell, lots of blood, and seemingly no means of escape for the murderer) puts each his family members under suspicion. Money? Power? Revenge? Who killed him ... and how? Poirot comes in and gives us another surprising solution to the mystery. The clue: the character of the man murdered.

Hardbound Agatha Christie's for a steal!

  • Sunday, September 11, 2011


Yesterday and today is giveaway weekend here in Winnipeg, and I've come home with some lovelies in my past curb hopping for books.

But yesterday, I chanced upon a quaint little house a few blocks away. An old lady - with wonderful old-world music playing in the background - was having a yard sale. And being slightly disappointed at the "junk" I had come across so far, I popped in. I was rewarded with a box of beautifully kept books. I did a quick sweep of everything and had to go back to those books!

I nonchalantly asked how much books were and when she says 25 cents, I just about did my happy dance. So I swoop over to the box and gather up all four of the hardbound Agatha Christies and hand over my payment.

The smiling old lady says, "So you like Agatha Christie?" and I couldn't contain myself and said "Oh, I love her! I grew up on her!" And she starts regaling Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and we have a fellow Christie-lovers' reminisce-fest.

Can't you spot book lovers a mile away!?

A-Z Book Survey, the Guiltless Reading Edition

  • Saturday, August 10, 2013


Jamie over at Perpetual Page Turner has a bookish A-Z Survey and I decided to take a crack at it. Join me for the ride, and if you take the survey, I'd love to see your answers. You may just surprise yourself!

My most read authors!
Author you’ve read the most books from: 
I had a feeling it would be Agatha Christie but mine is Roald Dahl! Agatha Christie was close second along with Lemony Snicket (I had to read all the books in the series A Series of Unfortunate Events, what do you think of me!).

Next in the running was Michael Crichton (yes, I went through a compulsive phase after Jurassic Park), Enid Blyton (a children's book writer who I adore and grew up with), and Neil Gaiman (oh just love love love anything he writes), and of course, J.K. Rowling (as you cant just stop with book 1, right?).

The next level were surprising to me. I would never have thought I'd read so much Sophie Kinsella (chick lit is so much fun)! Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my perennial favourites and still have quite a number of his books on my TBR. Jasper Fforde is there because I got hooked on the Thursday Next series. And Murakami is again a favourite ... still more of his work to read. Lastly, if you don't know Eric Carle, honestly, you need to make his acquaintance, especially if you have young kids!

(Quick tip: If you use Goodreads and keep track of your reads, go to your account, click  “My Books” and scroll down ... on the left hand side under your shelves, there is  “Most Read Authors”) 

Best Sequel Ever: Hmmm. I can't seem to pick a "best" so I'll list a few series where I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next in the series:
Currently Reading: Raising Eyebrows by Dal LaMagna which is a memoir by the man who founded the company Tweezerman.

Drink of Choice While Reading: I'm not picky. Whatever I feel like drinking at the time.

E-reader or Physical Book? Physical books period.

Gave it a chance:
fascinating!
Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: I didn't really date plus it's strange to have to think about characters as potential love interests. I'll think about this a bit more.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: Rats by Robert Sullivan. I came across this non-fiction book in a yard sale and never thought I'd find reading about rats so fascinating!

Hidden gem!
Hidden Gem Book: Recently I discovered Persephone's Torch: A Novel in Three Acts by freder. Obscure. Few readers. Go check out my review!

Important Moment in your Reading Life: Probably when I started blogging about books. This opened up a whole new world to me. I discovered the world of book bloggers, hopped around from  Bookmooch, Shelfari, LibraryThing and Goodreads, started joining book giveaways, eventually hosted authors and did giveaways of my own. Truly a book lover's dream ... and just because I started blogging about what I read!

Just finished!
Just Finished: Very Recent History by Choire Sicha which I read for a book tour with TLC Book Tours. It's an anthropological take of the year 2009. My review is coming out this week.

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read: Horror books, generally. The Amityville Horror well, horrified me. And anything classified as young adult with vampires or paranormal beings.

Longest Book You’ve Read: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. All 1,463 pages of it! Unabridged is the only way to read this.

Major book
hangover!
Major book hangover because of: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Really. Wow. I recommended it to everyone who would listen. More recently it was Lotería by Mario Alberto Zambrano.

Number of Bookcases You Own: None, because I just pile them wherever. Yes I have a messy, book-ridden house.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. It's just so good!

Preferred Place To Read:
In bed, just before going to sleep.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: 
“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”
 - Victor Hugo, Les Misérables 
Reading Regret: Every time I read an astounding book, I always regret that I've finished reading it. Nothing can compare to reading a book the first time around and loving it! (Like tasting something so delicious for the very first time ... you need to savour it. Because the next time you taste it, you'll remember.) I always try to keep this in mind so I don't rush through books.

Series You Started and Need To Finish (all books are out in series): The Thursday Next Series by Jasper Fforde. I stopped at Book 5 and I still have two more in the series to read.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

    
Since they're favourites, I've also read these quite a few times.

Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

X marks the spot!
Unapologetic Fangirl For: Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Neil Gaiman. Roald Dahl. Agatha Christie. Eric Carle. All geniuses in their own genres.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: For the longest time, I've just been wanting to get my own copy of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I'm not sure why I haven't gotten a copy yet!

Worst Bookish Habit: I dogear! I'm sorry, I can't help it! I tried stickies - annoying after a while, taking notes - interrupts my reading flow, and multiple bookmarks - also annoying.

X Marks The Spot: Since I have piles, let me count the 27th among them. It's Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953.

Your latest book purchase:
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, all 4 books. Haven't read them yet.


ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): This is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila. Gritty, compelling short stories which really resonated with me.

Wasn't that fun? I hope to see what everyone's answers are so please leave your link if you decided to join this survey!
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© guiltless readingMaira Gall